Separation Rapids/If its of interest, this is some information I recently came across:
1. Lithium markets:
"Tight control over the market over this 30-year period was maintained mainly by supplying a very wide range of lithium products of consistently high quality. Market information was closely guarded, so that potential competitors would not be able to work out where the profitable sectors of the market were. Market dominance was helped by the fact that there were few other potential sources of lithium minerals in the United States, and overseas sources were mainly in underdeveloped countries ..." (Roskill Metals Analysis, March 20, 1998, from a paper presented to the TMS annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on February 16, 1998 by Roskill Information Services, London).
2. Tantalum ore grades are usually < 0.10% Ta, but recoverable grades are as low as 0.005%
"Typically a tantalum ore contains less than 1 kg of tantalum in every tonne ore." (February 5, 1996: 1996 TMS Annual Meeting ú Anaheim, BENEFICIATION OF TANTALUM ORE-HOW IS IT ACHIEVED AND COULD IT BE BETTER?: Richard Burt, General Manager, Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited)
3. Rising tantalum demand and prices.
"The value of tantalum consumed in 1997 (in the U.S.) was estimated at around $145 million... with continued strong demand for tantalum capacitor-grade powder in the electronics sector... it is estimated that in 1998 U.S. domestic consumption will be around 500 tons... the average selling prices for some tantalum products were as follows (per pound of contained tantalum): powder, $100 to $180; wire, $170 to $250, and sheet, $100 to $150. Tantalum oxide was selling at an average of $40 to $90 per pound of oxide, and the average selling price for tantalum carbide was $45 to $60 per pound." (U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodities Summaries, 1998)
DRT |
